On a sunny but blustery Saturday (3/12/05), Garrett
and MacDonald and I birded Pend Oreille County. Our
route took us from Sacheen Lake, to the circuit around
Calispell Lake, the river route from Cusick to Usk,
the dike road off LeClerc Road, and Newport.

Although Sacheen Lake is still mostly frozen and the
public access is closed for the season, we still
managed to find an adult NORTHERN SHRIKE on a power
line. This was a county lifer for both of us.

Along the Calispell Lake route, we noted an abundance
of robins and Song Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees,
and singing juncos. Hundreds of Northern Pintail and
Tundra Swans dotted the lake. Pied-billed Grebes,
Redheads, Ame. Wigeon, C. Goldeneye, Gadwall,
Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Canada
Geese, 5 CACKLING GEESE - taveners (county lifer, Bald
Eagle, and 2- TRUMPETER SWANS near shoreline (county
lifer).

The river route from Cusick to Usk didn't produce too
much of interest. However, there were at least 50
Great Blue Herons on a grassy peninsula, Common
Merganser, and the season's first VIOLET-GREEN
SWALLOWS -12.

On the dike road, we were rewarded with another good
county rarity, a single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
(county lifer) that was hanging out with a flock of
Canadas.

As we searched for Blue Jays and Merlins in Newport,
we came across a flock of PYGMY NUTHATCHES (tough to
find in the county), Red-breasted Nuthatches,
Golden-crowned Kinglet, and 2 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGs. Near
the junction of Hwy 2 and 211, we saw a pair of
WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (another difficult bird to find in
the county), TREE SWALLOWs, and a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD.

On our return drive, we stopped just north of the
community of Riverside to observe several circling
raptors. There was one adult and one immature BALD
EAGLE, and a Red-tailed Hawk that was chasing an adult
GOLDEN EAGLE. The Golden Eagle was a Spokane County
lifer for me and made a nice grand finale to the trip.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA



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